designing and making it happen

Chicken Wire Lampshade

This is such a steam punk project and very easy to make. It is the sort of lamp that will fit in anywhere so it could as easily be a pendant light as a table lamp.

You will need-

Fine mesh Chicken wire (the sort you would use on a rabbit cage)

From a hardware shop, you may have to buy it by the roll £9 but you will only use a fraction of it and will have plenty to make lots more shades.

Lamp shade £3 B&Q

Lamp stand £5 Home Base

Wire cutters or cheap scissors will work

0.5mm floral wire in black £1.99 Hobby Craft

Tape measure

Grey spray paint from Valspar £7.49 B&Q

Total Price £17.48

Step by Step instructions

Remove the fabric from the lampshade

Spray the wire frame and the lamp base grey. Leave to dry.

Measure the circumference of the lamp base times the height. Cut a piece of chicken wire to these dimensions plus 0.5 cm for fold overs.

Bend the wire over the frame, to check that it fits. If it is narrower at the top than at the base you will need to cut parts of the wire away later on.

Cut lots of pieces of wire about 15 cms long. Use these to attach the wire to the base of the frame, by tying wire knots at regular intervals round the shade frame. Cut off any loose wire ends.

Bend the wire so that it fits round the top of the frame covering all the sides. If the circumference of the top is narrower than at the bottom you will need to make darts, as if you were sewing a pattern, this is done by bending the wire, almost like pleats. Cut away any surplice wire and attach any open ends together with wire pieces. Cut off any space ends. Fit onto the base.

Tip:

We used a lamp shade that already had fabric on it as it was less expensive than any lamp frame we could find, but you can miss out this stage by buying a lamp frmae they are available on line.